The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 28, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 19, 1999
Daryl G. Harris, Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Robert K. Arao, Saiport, NY (US);
Thomas A. Gibson, Allentown, MI (US);
Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A windshield wiper apparatus for a vehicle includes an energy absorption member coupled between the moving drive arm and stationary structure which provides an opposing force to the movement of the wiper arm to absorb a portion of the inertial energy of the wiper arm as the wiper arm approaches one of at least an outwipe end limit and an inwipe end limit of a wipe pattern to reduce the impact forces on the wiper apparatus at the point of reversal of the wiper arm. The energy absorption member is in the form of a spring or compressive member arranged to store energy during movement of the wiper arm toward one or both of the end limits and to release the stored energy back to the wiper apparatus as the wiper arm reverses direction at each end limit. The energy absorption member is actively coupled to the drive arm only during a predetermined angular portion of the angular rotation of the drive arm which coincides with the region of increased mechanical advantage in the drive linkage.